of Trachis affirmed that when the Persians shot off their arrows the sun was darkened by the number of them. But Dieneces was not one whit astonished at the matter, but, taking no heed at all of the multitude of the Persians, made answer, saying, “This is good news that the stranger from Trachis brings us, for if the Persians so hide the sun then shall we fight in the shade.” Many such like sayings did this Dieneces speak. Next after this Dieneces were two brothers, Alpheus and Maron; and of the Thespians the bravest was one Dithyrambus.
All these were buried even where they were slain. On them that died before that Leonidas had sent away a part of his army, there was written this epitaph—
But over the Spartans by themselves there was written—
And over the soothsayer was this—
The other columns indeed and that which was written upon them did the Amphictyons set up; but the column of Megistias the seer and the inscription thereon Simonides set up for friendship’s sake.